The colorful musical madness of Italian comedian and London Olivier Award nominee Ennio Marchetto is having even more cult success at San Francisco's Theatre on the Square than it did in its Off-Broadway incarnation. Ennio, which began previews Feb. 15 and opened Feb. 16 in San Francisco, was been extended there through April 9 (overtaking a previous closing date of March 12) and has now been extended another month, through May 7.

The colorful musical madness of Italian comedian and London Olivier Award nominee Ennio Marchetto is having even more cult success at San Francisco's Theatre on the Square than it did in its Off-Broadway incarnation. Ennio, which began previews Feb. 15 and opened Feb. 16 in San Francisco, was been extended there through April 9 (overtaking a previous closing date of March 12) and has now been extended another month, through May 7.

Ennio: Starring Ennio Marchetto played a well-received engagement at New York City's McGinn/Cazale Theatre March-April 1999.

Using paper costumes designed by Sosthen Hennekam, Marchetto [pronounced mar-ket'-oh] folds and unfolds himself from one character into the next. With a "human origami" repertoire of 150 plus characters, he introduces 40 in each 70-minute show, morphing such celebs as Fidel Castro into the Pope, Lou Reed into Marge Simpson, Miriam Makeba into a giraffe, and Celine Dion into the RMS Titanic.

Marchetto studied at two classical Italian training schools, Scuola dell'Arte and Teatro dell'Arte. After premiering his show at the Edinburgh Festival, he has traveled with it to Tokyo, Hong Kong, Paris, Berlin and Barcelona. Co-director Hennekam studied at Studio Bercot in Paris and still designs collections for Thierry Mugler and others. For tickets ($25-$35) and information on Ennio at Theatre on the Square, 450 Post Street in San Francisco, call (415) 433-9500.